CHANGE

And now the calendar has flipped to March.

In his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton relates passages of time and his travels throughout his early years, observing from his mature and converted perspective many years later. He insists that no experience or folly was wasted by God.

“I had come very far, to find myself in this blind-alley: but the very anguish and helplessness of my position was something to which I rapidly succumbed. And it was my defeat that was to be the occasion of my rescue.”

Of this we can be certain, time flies whether or not we are having fun. In our contemporary society payment is commensurate with what we contribute to the bottom line. Being bombarded with opportunity we may allow ourselves to be pushed into stress to succeed. And then becoming exhausted we re-evaluate our success. Of course we have failed to do everything and disappointment may be our reward.

Spring is a wonderful opportunity to attack sections of weeds and allow others to propagate until another day. For around the wretched weeds are snow flowers, grape hyacinths, purple crocus and even last year’s artichoke struggling to free itself from winter cover and mulch.

There is enough trouble for one day, let alone taking on the universe until we drop from the exertion. And today there is sunshine enough for all to stand, face lifted up, and breathe.